Cuba

OldGoat

I'm planning a trip to Cuba next year. Anyone got any cigar Do's, Don'ts or Run Like Hell's.

BeerNut

Any of the guidebooks will tell you: don't buy from the guys in the street; they sell overpriced crap. I liked the cigar shop upstairs next to Floridita.

And on a non-cigar issue: don't buy booze in the duty free shop on the way home. It will be confiscated under the liquids ban when you transfer in Europe.
(Yes, I'm still mourning that bottle of 7-year Havana Club. We'll always have Paris *sob*)

BenShermin

OldGoat, it might be worth going into The Decent Cigar Emporium and striking up a conversation with the lads in there about your trip over a cup of their coffee. Most of the staff there have been on trade trips to Cuba at some stage and they might be able to offer you some advice.

http://www.decent-cigar.com/

OldGoat

Already done Ben thanks.

Delancey

Related to the original question - will U.S. customs seize cuban cigars from travellers irrespective of where they were bought or where the traveller is coming from ?

redarmyblues

Spain is the best place to buy cuban cigars. Even in offical shops the staff will sell you knock offs as genuine. In Cuba everybody steals from work.

MediaTank

OldGoat wrote: »

I'm planning a trip to Cuba next year. Anyone got any cigar Do's, Don'ts or Run Like Hell's.

PM sent.

el_greco

Are you going over next February OldGoat?
Even though I haven't been to Cuba, my advice is don't bother buying cigars that you can buy everywhere else, but buy as many custom rolled as you can!

el_greco

delancey42 wrote: »

Related to the original question - will U.S. customs seize cuban cigars from travellers irrespective of where they were bought or where the traveller is coming from ?

Yes, if you are silly enough to tell them the cigars you are carrying are Cuban

MediaTank

el_greco wrote: »

Are you going over next February OldGoat?
Even though I haven't been to Cuba, my advice is don't bother buying cigars that you can buy everywhere else, but buy as many custom rolled as you can!

Absolutely no point in buying anything else as prices/selection are the same as Spain.

OldGoat

el_greco wrote: »

Are you going over next February OldGoat?
Even though I haven't been to Cuba, my advice is don't bother buying cigars that you can buy everywhere else, but buy as many custom rolled as you can!

Won't be going in Feb so I'll miss the cigar festivals. However I am looking forward getting some custom rolled cigars. I'm trying to decide what my 'Perfect' cigar should feel, smoke and taste like.
I'm leaning towards a Lonsdale size and guage, maduro wrapped, mild leaf though I'll have changed my mind about that within an hour or two. The fun is in trying Everything.

MediaTank

OldGoat wrote: »

Won't be going in Feb so I'll miss the cigar festivals. However I am looking forward getting some custom rolled cigars. I'm trying to decide what my 'Perfect' cigar should feel, smoke and taste like.
I'm leaning towards a Lonsdale size and guage, maduro wrapped, mild leaf though I'll have changed my mind about that within an hour or two. The fun is in trying Everything.

Lonsdales are not very popular at the moment. Large ring guage cigars are all the rage. Most of the custom rolled cigars are big, and there is no maduro tobacco in Cuba for custom rolled cigars :mad:

peasant

Trinidad Fundadores ...certainly worth a look (and taste) if you want to bring home something a bit special.

http://www.cigars-review.org/Trinidad-Fundadores.htm

About 90 mins of mild and varied smoking pleasure, doesn't overpower you, easy to hold and smoke, goes nicely with mojitos

lmtduffy

When I was there I was on some what of a budget but determined to get some cigars, any-ways I ended up on a farm in Vinales, taking shelter from a big ass storm, when the occupants produced a plastic bag of dried leaves and began rolling and offered me one. I enjoyed it, accompanied by their own grown coffee and the amusing sight of the chicklets, puppies and kittens all taking shelter under the table I sat.

I came away with about 20 of the guys cigars wrapped in nice little bark packaging (as I recall it was around €8 for 10 and he wouldn't sell me more than 20 unfortunately). I bought a few different Cohibas and other such sorts through-out my visit but enjoyed my "Gerardos" ( the guys name was Gerardo) the best. Maybe go to Vinales and ask around, it's not a big place!

Just something to consider, on a more general note I recommend using home-stays as a good way to find out about stuff like that, but be very, very weary of buying anything on the side, as it were, particularly in the bigger cities.

dolphin city

don't buy off the street - get from a reputable source in cuba.

also - i agree - don't buy booze at the duty free - it will be confiscated in europe.

but do buy booze and put in your suitcase before you leave cuba- that won't be confiscated.

Blisterman

Just got back from Cuba. Was dissapointed at the prices to be honest. Didn't seem any cheaper than cigars in France. I'd actually go against advice against buying on the streets. Just be sure you carefully inspect and smell them. Theft from the factories is endemic. (Wages are after all about €15 a month). Even the guy running the tour of the factory admitted it.
I bought some Montecristo No. 4s for less than a quarter of the price of the official stores. I'm not going to claim that they're definitely 100% genuine, but to my amateur judgement, they look, feel, smell and taste the same. I also tried an obviously fake one, and the difference is startling. Had no trouble with customs at the airport (although I have heard otherwise, so you'll have to be prepared to risk having them conviscated.)
Rum is the same price in stores as the airport ranging from about 3.50 for white Havana Club, to about 15, for the 7 year old, so your best bet is to put it in your checked luggage. You can buy it in the Terminal building before security.

Food is rubbish in Cuba. Didn't have a single tasty meal the whole time I was there. And price is no guarantee of quality, so don't waste money on restaurants in expensive hotels. You can buy extremely cheap (less than 20c) snacks off street vendors using non convertable cuban pesos, so it's worth getting a fiver or so's worth in a bureau de change.

BeerNut

Blisterman wrote: »

Didn't have a single tasty meal the whole time I was there.

I mostly lived on lobster :pac:

MediaTank

Blisterman wrote: »

Just got back from Cuba. Was dissapointed at the prices to be honest. Didn't seem any cheaper than cigars in France. I'd actually go against advice against buying on the streets. Just be sure you carefully inspect and smell them. Theft from the factories is endemic. (Wages are after all about €15 a month). Even the guy running the tour of the factory admitted it.
I bought some Montecristo No. 4s for less than a quarter of the price of the official stores. I'm not going to claim that they're definitely 100% genuine, but to my amateur judgement, they look, feel, smell and taste the same. I also tried an obviously fake one, and the difference is startling. Had no trouble with customs at the airport (although I have heard otherwise, so you'll have to be prepared to risk having them conviscated.)
Rum is the same price in stores as the airport ranging from about 3.50 for white Havana Club, to about 15, for the 7 year old, so your best bet is to put it in your checked luggage. You can buy it in the Terminal building before security.

Food is rubbish in Cuba. Didn't have a single tasty meal the whole time I was there. And price is no guarantee of quality, so don't waste money on restaurants in expensive hotels. You can buy extremely cheap (less than 20c) snacks off street vendors using non convertable cuban pesos, so it's worth getting a fiver or so's worth in a bureau de change.

That's the joy of a state run economy. You can get good food in Cuba - the best places are the family run restaurants or 'paladares', which offer fresh seasonal food. Unfortunately, the best one closed down just before my last trip, but there are still twenty or more very good ones to choose from. They are almost all in the Miramar and Vedado regions of Havana.

In the 14 years I've been travelling to Isla Grande, cigars have certainly become more expensive - they are now on a par with Spainish prices. You can find some gems in the shops, such as discontinued or aged vitolas, but by and large, I smoke custom rolled cigars when I'm there.

Those Montecristo you bough were almost certainly fake or at best, the rollers own cigars smuggled out over a couple of weeks and then boxed. Typically these are of the worst quality.

MediaTank

BeerNut wrote: »

I mostly lived on lobster :pac:

Pity it's never 'fresca'